Practice Areas

Change in Wildlife Import/Export Procedures Rescinded Due to Trade Input

Monday, December 19, 2016

Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg Trade Report

The Fish and Wildlife Service has rescinded an Oct. 18 notice and will continue to issue designated port exception permits, which allow the importers and exporters to whom they are issued to ship specified wildlife products through ports not staffed with wildlife inspectors. The trade community had expressed concern that an FWS plan to halt this practice could have had substantial negative effects on their supply chains.

In its Oct. 18 notice the FWS said it was critical for wildlife inspectors to be staffed at ports of clearance as the Service moves forward with implementation of the International Trade Data System and begins to pilot the FWS import message set through the Automated Commercial Environment. The FWS now states that it has begun the process of consulting with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to determine the necessary programming changes to ACE needed to implement the DPEP process but that this may not be completed until the end of February. Until then importers will not be able to pilot in ACE with the FWS at non-staffed port locations, but they will be able to continue to obtain FWS clearance at such ports through eDecs as they have in the past.

The FWS is reminding the trade community that DPEPs are only issued to accommodate imports or exports for scientific purposes, minimize or prevent deterioration or loss of perishable wildlife, or alleviate undue economic hardship for traders. In addition, DPEPs will only be issued at a non-staffed port when FWS officers are available to travel to that port.

ST&R will be conducting a webinar Dec. 20 on requirements for filing imports and exports of wildlife products in ACE – click here for more information or to register.